When Cynthia Licona was in the third grade, she visited the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista on a school field trip. That outing would change her life and inspire her to build a career in wildlife education.
“I was already fascinated by animals as a kid, and I wanted to know more,” Licona said. “The Living Coast Discovery Center was a place in my community that I didn’t know about before, where I could learn more about animals and their history, so that day stayed in my brain growing up.”
The Living Coast Discovery Center is a nonprofit organization and entertainment attraction with an aquarium, hiking trails and indoor habitats. The community can learn about wildlife that lives in and around the Chula Vista Bayfront, such as sea turtles, sting rays, hawks and snakes.
Lincona has worked for the Living Coast Discovery Center for the last 14 years. She started as a volunteer after high school and worked her way up to being the education manager.
“My passion is teaching my community about and how to respect our local wildlife,” she said.
Licona’s responsibilities include overseeing guest experiences and events, implementing bilingual programming such as free hikes in English and Spanish and leading the volunteer program.
“It’s something that I’m really proud of,” she said. “I started as a volunteer, and now I get to oversee the department and use those experiences that I had as a volunteer to make sure that our volunteers are supported and provide as much guidance as I can.”
Licona describes herself as a border kid because she grew up in San Diego County and Tijuana. She said she would spend a few hours in the car with her family to cross during the week to get to school, work and back home, so there was little extra time to discover the local wildlife, even though she had an affinity for animals and the outdoors.
“I feel like some of us in the Hispanic culture, we don’t get exposed a lot to nature or being in the wilderness,” Licona said. “So when my mom would take us outdoors, she would really want us to look under rocks for bugs and look out for cool birds. She wanted us to explore our surroundings as much as we could.”
As she got older, she was able to discover more of the local animals and nature, while working for a time at SeaWorld, attending San Diego State University and visiting parks and hiking trails in and around the South County, where she now lives and works.
“As Chula Vistans and community members of the South Bay, we know what a gem this region is,” Licona said. “Our community is diverse, with not only Hispanics, Filipinos and indigenous people, but also open spaces and entertainment options.
Here are Licona’s recommendations to visit when in Chula Vista.
Q: Where is your favorite dining option?
A: Sushi House is a small, family-run sushi restaurant with delicious food and great prices. I always get the island roll. It has fresh salmon, avocado on top and fried shrimp inside as well.
Q: What is your favorite small retail business or pop-up vendor to support?
A: Chula Vista Watersports is owned and run by a super kind local guy. They are one of the few to host kayak eco tours in the South Bay, and they work with various local organizations to support wildlife conservation.
Q: Where is your favorite open space?
A: Chula Vista Bayfront and Marina View Park. That’s always the park that I went to a lot with my dad growing up. It’s nothing but the bay, so you get to really immerse yourself in the bay. We would ride bikes. It has the best views, the best sunsets and it’s one of those untapped spaces in Chula Vista. And now, through my work, I know we have around 100 sea turtles around our bayfront.
Q: Where is the best piece of artwork?
A: My favorite mural runs along the trolley tracks between the E Street Station and the on-ramp for the 54 East freeway. It is a piece created by the artist Mr. B Baby that embodies the Hispanic and indigenous local culture.
Q: Where is your favorite entertainment attraction or historic landmark?
A: Besides the Living Coast Discovery Center, I do also love the wildlife space, the Otay Lakes County Park, which is actually behind the Olympic Training Center. It’s a really hidden park, and you get to see that side of Otay Lakes and the dam. Recently, there have been sightings of bald eagles, so it’s just such a beautiful park to get to see wildlife. And now I’m a mom too, so anywhere that there’s a playground to let my kid burn some energy is a plus for me. And it is a clean and safe park to take him to. I also love Third Avenue for all the new businesses, coffee shops, and restaurants that are popping up. There are so many choices now, so we love visiting there.
